TMAC Newsletter

The announcement that Yahoo would shift away from their telework policy to require more in-office time spurred a national discussion. Soon after the Yahoo decision, Best Buy followed suit.

As technology improvements make out-of-office communications seamless while arguably increasing productivity, why are these companies ditching the work-from-home approach for an old-school 9 to 5?

Proponents of the Yahoo and Best Buy move to a more office-centric approach say it will lead to increased innovation, communication and collaboration. Those in favor of a telecommute option, such as the Association for Commuter Transportation, frequently cite increased productivity, a reduced need for capital expansion such as office space and parking, as well as improved retention rates and overall employee satisfaction.

As part of our efforts to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality, we encourage employers to implement telework as a strategy to address these issues.

Below are some related articles on both sides of the telework debate, as well as resources for employers who would like to implement a telework policy, or better manage an existing policy:

80 percent of North Jersey companies surveyed offer some type of telecommuting policy, and a local employment law specialist is seeing first-hand an increase in employers seeking legal advice on formal telecommuting policies. Some offer telework to all employees, and some allow the benefit to be earned.

A dissection of telecommuting, highlighting the productivity vs. collaboration and innovation argument, as well as whether telecommuters work significantly more hours than their in-office counterparts.